Star Wars End of Light
by WillTheEnchanter
Summary: Luke Skywalker finds something in the forests of Yavin 4 after the destruction of the first Death Star. Something that will change the course of the galaxy. Dark Luke
1. Prolouge

Yavin system, forth moon, rebel base, barracks, pilot country.

Three days after the Battle of Yavin.

Luke Skywalker watched the swaying hips of his latest conversation partner with detached interest. She was certainly nice to look at, maybe she was a good conversationalist, he didn't know. She was the latest of about three dozen women to offer themselves to him. Once the cloth flap that was posing as his door fell back into place behind hyperdrive tech 2nd class Andori's still swaying form, Luke sprang to his feet and started pacing the ten meter square of his room. His hands seemed to leap to his head as he made his short circuit of what he thought of as his zoo cage. "Everyone come on in, take a look at the rarest creature in the Galaxy! Limited engagement only, hero on display." He muttered to himself, the bitter words seeming foreign on his tongue.

Everyone he knew was gone. His family burned in their home for buying some damn droids! Biggs killed by the same monster that he had just learned had killed his father. The rebel intelligence reports said that only Vader had that particular version of tie fighter. Heh, advanced, if he had the money that Vader did, the tie fighter would not be the way he went. He'd start with a larger frame and build up. Stronger shields, more maneuvering thrusters, stronger weapons. He'd talk to Biggs . . . But Biggs is dead. The thought echoed in his suddenly empty head. He had no friends, and no way to make them. All anyone saw was the hero. Made the one in a million shot with no computer assistance. Isn't he great, fought Vader himself, fighter to fighter and lived to tell the tale. Never mind the real heroes who had left to fight that monstrosity and never came back. All they saw was the poster boy. No one knew him. No one seemed to want to know him. "Everything I know is gone." He said quietly as he sank onto the floor, his arms warped around his legs, and his chin tucked glumly on his knees. No one here called him Luke.

Movement at the entrance to his room pulled him from his thoughts of despair. "What seems to be the mater, Mr. Skywalker?" The voice was cultured, controlled, and dripped with polite concern, and was as empty as the Jutland Waists (if you didn't count the Sand People.) He stood and turned to face his latest guest. At least she wasn't here to "Give the bunk a repeated strain test. Won't you help?" like the one yesterday.

He sighed, the strain of the last few days obvious on his voice. "I think after everything that's happened you can call me Luke." His eyes held an echo of the pain in his voice as he turned to the face that had pulled him into this whole thing in the first place. "Sorry, I'll try again." Leia smiled at him. "Luke, what's wrong?" The smooth controlled aspect to her voice was gone, but he could hear an edge to her voice that hadn't been there before. He sighed slightly as he gave her a wry smile in return. "There's nothing _really_ wrong. I'm just out of my depth. I mean if you asked me a week ago what I thought I'd be doing, my wildest guess would have been signing up to the imperial academy." Leia looked slightly alarmed at that so Luke hastily explained. "It's not that I wanted to be an Imp!" His voice had a frantic edge to it, but it did serve to calm the princess. "It's just that I couldn't think of a way off of Tatooine. I only ever had about 30 credits to my name at any given time. Before I met up with Obi Wan I'd only ever been as far as Anchorhead. Mos Eisley was the first space port I'd ever been to. Still is now that I think about it. I was gonna sign up with the academy, learn to fly space fighters, or freighters or whatever, and jump ship. Just like Biggs. . ."

Luke's pain seemed to radiate from his very being. "Just. . . Just like Biggs and I planned." Leia, who had moved closer to him while he was talking, reached out and touched his shoulder. "I didn't realize you were so close to pilot Darklighter." Luke looked into her eyes and saw his pain reflected in her. "He was my best friend, only friend really, for years. I wasn't all that popular on Tatooine." She smirked up at him. "And we've held you up as a hero. You've never had to deal with anything like that before have you?" He seemed to think about it for a moment. "Well there was that time I won the Beggar's Canyon Race back home, but no, not really." She seemed puzzled for a moment. "What _is_ Beggar's Canyon? You mentioned it in the fight." Luke smiled at this. "It's a canyon, obviously, very narrow. It goes from about twice as wide as the Death Star trench to about half as wide in some places and it's very curvy. We'd take our air speeders through as fast as we could. I actually set the all time speed record, for a human that is. Looking back on it I guess it was because my father was a Jedi or something. I still don't understand this stuff."

Leia notice that he became more animated as he gestured to describe his homeworld than she'd seen him since the Death Star. "You weren't ready for any of this were you?" He seemed to deflate, but she could tell that he was reveled that someone had noticed. "No, no I wasn't. I mean, I'm just a farm boy from a tenth rate world. Sure I wanted to make a difference, but I never thought that I'd actually do it. Now everyone looks at me and wants a hero. I'm not even used to being off the farm, let alone some great hero. I think I need to get away from everything for a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm sticking around to help as much as I can. I just need to get my head on straight." Leia grabbed his had and pulled him out of his room. "Come on, I'll take you to the quartermaster and get you kitted out for the jungle here. Take a walk, get your head on straight. Just be careful, the deep jungle is very dangerous, impassable in places. If you get stuck com link for help.

Yavin system, forth moon, deep jungle

4 hours later.

He'd never felt moisture like that this before. Now he understood what off-worlders meant when they said Tatooine was a dry heat. Not that he missed Tatooine at all, nope, no, not one bit. Who was he kidding of course he missed Tatooine or rather the people that he'd known there that he would never, could never, see again.

"Uncle Owen, aunt Beru. Ben." The young man sighed as he made his way trough the so called impassable jungle of Yavin IV. "Impassable heh, they just never tried hard enough. Though, father's light saber helps with the underbrush. I wonder if they've missed me yet. After all, I'm the big hero now. Who knew that something I thought I wanted all my life would turn out to suck so much. Sure people know who Luke Skywalker is now, but none of them know ME. The closest things I have to friends now are Han, the droids and the princes, but she doesn't need to hear me wining about all I've lost. Her entire planet was destroyed." He shook his head in disbelief "How could they do that, there were billions of people on Alderaan. They just blew it up because the Alderaani didn't agree with imp' policy. I just wish I could have stopped them sooner. Then . . . Bigs would still be here. If only there were a way I could make a difference. Dammit Uncle Owen! Why did you keep Ben away? If I were a Jedi I might have been able to stop all this . . . I could have blown up the Death Star that much sooner." His shoulders slumped as he paused momentarily. "I could have helped Ben rather than just standing there staring as that thrice damned _sith_ killed him."

He came to a stop in front of a huge temple with strange, almost violent, glyphs all over the surface. He felt something old and . . . powerful coming from inside, and he felt it moving. Calling to him. Like Ben did, after. . .

"This isn't going to get me anywhere. Now I'm going crazy. I shouldn't have left the base. I should have just sat there and let them call me 'Hero' all they wanted." The youth let out a huge sigh as he faced the temple. He looked up into the sky and the huge red orange ball that was the planet Yavin. "I'm sorry Uncle Owen; I shouldn't have said that. . . I wish. . . I wish the last words between us . . . I should have told you how I felt not that I wanted to leave you . . . to serve the ones that would kill you even. . . I'm . . . I'm sorry."

_You wish you had been able to stop the deaths of your family? I will tell you what you need. That which will give you the ability to save those you wish to save. You must seek the power of the force._

The young man looked up and finding nothing stared at the temple and its strange power. He knew it was coming from the temple in front of him. Although why a temple would want to talk to Luke Skywalker, Tatooine farm boy was beyond him. "What are you? Who are you? What do you want with me?"

_I was a Jedi while I lived, the most powerful of my time. My name was, and is, Exar Kun. As for what I want with you I want to help you learn the true artistry of the universe. If you let me I will teach you the ways of force and help you become a Jedi . . . just like your father._


	2. Chapter 1: Finding the Path

Chapter 1: Finding the Path.

Command center Imperial research facility, Toprawa, Maridian sector.

One week after the Battle of Yavin.

The atmosphere on the base was oppressive. Everyone was waiting for the wrath of the emperor to fall on their shoulders. The more aware scientists feared that their own work would be their undoing. The most aware felt that they would deserve it. Alderaan, they had helped to destroy it. The center for culture and beauty in the galaxy, destroyed by the laser that they had designed. If everything went well then they would be killed. They knew to much about the weapon. So they feared the coming of the Emperor's men.

The rank and file didn't know anything about the research done here in one of the most remote corners of the Empire, they did know that, whatever it was, the plans for it had been stolen by rebels. It was the largest security failure in Imperial history. They knew they would pay, and probably in more blood. Tarkin himself had ordered the execution of half the base, including all the officers in the security division. Why the grand moff would focus his attention on them they did not know. All they knew was that the end was coming for them. Coming with the Emperor's men.

When the end finally did come, it was in a way that they did not expect at all.

Technician TCT-255893 had been on duty for more than twice a standard duty cycle, watching the communication panel in the command tower. It wasn't even his job, he was trained as a optical reenforcement specialist, working with heavy duty laser systems. After Tarkin was through all the senior staff were dead or in holding cells. TCT-225893 was glad to be clear of that, but he also didn't like being a glorified com answering service. He wasn't always a number. TCT-225893 used to be a simple school boy on a minor mid rim world. He entered the Imperial Academy when he was 20, having no other prospects on his home planet. He used to be known as Kyle. But those days were long past now, and it seemed that they would remain in the past. Judging by the message he just received. "Major, I have word from central. We are to expect an Imperial Inspector in one week." He made sure to say it just loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone deserved to know that they had a week left before judgment. It was breaking regulations, signals about comings and goings were meant to be secret. TCT-225893 would never have done such a thing, but he found the closer the end came, the more he remembered Kyle. Would it have been so bad to stay at home and marry the homely girl from down the street that his parents had arranged for him? Looking back on it, he wished he had stayed at home. The major looked at him in mild annoyance, but didn't seem to be able to work up enough will to care about what should have amounted to a major breech of security protocol.

One of the sensor monitors across the room jerked him from his uninterested slump. "Sir, movement in hyperspace. Small craft, military grade drive rating. It's very close. It maybe another rebel raid!" The prospect of another crack at the rebels reviltilized the room. TCT-255893 felt Kyle fade to the background again. "How long until it reaches us?" The major asked moving over to look at the sensor readout. "Are there traces of any other ships?" The sensor tech looked up at the major slightly nervously. "No, sir not that I can tell. If they are on attack vector then they'll drop out of hyperspace in approximately two minuets." TCT-225893, eager for something to do, called out to the major. "Sir, should I contact the TIE squadron? They can be ready. . ." He was cut off by the surprised call from the sensor operator. "Target has dropped out of lightspeed! It is well clear of the planet. Single vessel, I don't recognize the profile. I can tell that it is a snub fighter. It appearers to be damaged. Sir, I'm detecting ion emissions similar to a TIE fighter, but no hyperspace booster or anything like it." The major seemed to pale and muttered. "A tie fighter with a hyperdrive?"

TCT-255893 pulled himself from the spectacle to see that his panel was blinking urgently. After working for a few moments he had his report ready and signaled the major to come over. The major approached slowly, his mind seemingly occupied with something very important. He seemed to be sallowing often, almost convulsively. After he arrived over TCT-255839's station he nodded jerkily. "Report, communications." TCT-255893 looked up at the major uncertainly for a half a moment then pushed on quietly, according to regulations this time. "Sir the communication system on the craft seems to be inoperative. The craft dose have an IFF transponder. When I queried the transponder it asked for something called tipple zed clearance. I'm not trained as a communications technician, I know you served as a com officer on star destroyer _Judgment_, what does it mean?" The major seemed to stair blankly for a few moments then all the color left his face and he seemed to lose three inches in hight as his body sagged under some huge weight. His countenance seemed to scream hopelessness to TCT-255893. "Sir, the craft is approaching the planet. Should we scramble the ready fighters?" The major pulled himself together and after one more great swallow, instructed, "Designate the craft as an omega priority VIP and have the ready fighters escort it to the base! Prepare our best quarters. All personnel not performing other functions will assemble at the landing platform. Best formal uniform. Tell everyone to look our very best or they can explain it to Lord Vader himself!"

Vader! Here? Now? No wonder the major was afraid. Kyle felt the weight that had nearly crushed the major settle on him. TCT-255893 was dead, all Kyle had to do was wait to see if Lord Vader would finish the job.

- - -

Command center Imperial research facility, Toprawa, Maridian sector.

Three hours later.

Kyle listened in dull incomprehension. The screams had started moments after Vader's fighter had landed in the main hanger bay. Kyle had never really believed in the stories about the wizard's of the old republic. The so called "Jedi". He thought that they were myths. Flights of fancy that had no place in the new order. So he never gave a second thought about the rumors that the Emperor's right hand, Darth Vader hand been such a wizard himself. He thought it was just a silly story, like the one about the master drill instructor at the academy being able to tell the washouts by looking at them.

His faith in a rational galaxy lasted until Vader's rage shredded the storm trooper brigade that had been waiting to greet him. The first few minuets were confused as he had tried to make sense of all the communication traffic. Everyone on the hanger level had been screaming into the com. Some were warnings, others were requests for information, there was even some regular emergency chatter coming from the damage control teams that Laura (He refused to think of her as KTY-309881 now that she was huddling next to him under his work station for shelter.) had put together after the Tarkin's purge. Laura had come to his station to try to help coordinate her people. They had been the only group to explain what was going on. At the time he'd been happy that events had lead her to his station. He'd had wanted to get to know here since he'd been transferred to Toprawa. Regulations had kept him from asking her out, even with the lax discipline after Tarkin's purge.

The first few damage control teams had died before they could get any signals out. The forth team had decided to go in with their com systems open so that they'd have a better chance to get needed information to the command crew. The major had even come over to see what was going on. Kyle had figured that Vader's ship was more damaged than they had thought and some of exotic part or other had exploded or something.

He was wrong of course. One of the techs had screamed that Vader was killing them with red light. Laura had whispered something like "Hinda." He wasn't sure if that was the tech's name or if it was some kind of prayer from her home world in the expansion region. All they heard after that was more screaming, explosions, and a strange buzzing sound that seemed to change pitch all the time. He and Laura had shared a worried look. Looking back on it he had been glad to focus on his fellow command tech, she had never been hard to look at, rather than what was going on fifty stories below them.

They were torn from their worried staring contest by the sound of a hand blaster going off. It took Kyle a while to recognize it, as he had only heard blaster fire on the range or in holovids. He had looked at the major's body for a few seconds not understanding what had happened. Laura understood. Her body doubled over as she vomited convulsively. The long cooled pool of whatever it was that Laura had eaten last was still only a few inches from his boot. After she had regained a fragment of control she had crawled under the desk sobbing. Once she was out of his sight Kyle's mind had caught up with what was happening and he noticed the service blaster in the majors hand. It still took him a few moments to understand that the major had killed himself to escape the wrath of the Emperor's pet monster. Kyle had stared at the blaster for what seemed like hours before Laura's sobs finally reached him again. So to the screams of the dieing he had crawled under the station and put his arm around Laura. That was hours ago.

He didn't know what was going on anymore. It seemed like the screams were quiet now, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything. His mind was locked onto those horrible minuets that had come with Vader's arrival. Over and over his mind examined that small bit of time before he was sure that he was going to die. A small shard of his mind thought that it was funny. Just last week he had joked with a friend down in the commissary that he'd give anything to get close to Laura and swap sweat. Now here he was with his arm around her, his hand closer to her impressive chest than anyone else on the station had been before, their sweat soaking through both their uniforms. It wasn't like he imagined. The stink of fear and vomit combined with the stench of burnt death from the major was so far from his pleasant day dreams as to make him feel as though they belonged to someone else.

As lovely as Laura was, had been, he corrected himself, they were both dead already and he was sure she was looking about as far from her best as was possible, he wished for that poor girl he'd left behind more than he'd ever wanted Laura. "We need to get out of here." Laura whispered again, she had been doing that from time to time. "No where to go." he muttered back, as he had the last fifty or so times she had said it. All there was to do was share what small comfort they could give each other as they listened for death as he came for them.

- - -

Imperial research facility, Toprawa, Maridian sector.

Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith stalked towards the control center, the last place in this endless pit of incompetence that he would deal with. He had already expunged most of the fools that remained after Tarkin's little snit. Not that it mattered now. The rebels had once again ripped survival form seeming impossible odds. It galled him as nothing had for nearly twenty years. Not since he had been reborn as Vader had anything filled him with such a rage. The Galaxy was nearly at peace! He had been this close to finally crushing the last bit of organized resistance. The peace he had worked for his entire life gone because of the fools here. He was nearly finished showing these incompetents the depth of their error.

A small part of him wished he could smile in grim satisfaction at his work. He clenched his left fist instead, it was all the emotional expression he had left. Danm Kenobi! Always Kenobi! No one else could have trained the pilot well enough to make that damned shot! His master had told him to purge his weakness. He shouldn't have made Kenobi's end so painless. It should have stretched out for hours, days, even _years_! He should have dragged him to Mustafar and forced him to watch, limbless, and helpless as his young student burned. As he had watched . . . No that being had died in the fire. Vader was all that remained. He absentmindedly gestured with the hand clutching his deactivated lightsaber as he entered the command center crushing the sniveling worms who had let this disaster take place. They were as much to blame as Kenobi, or the pilot who fired the shot, or the smuggler from Tatooine. He would find out who they were and they would pay, much as the incompetents here had payed. Yes, he would track the Alderanian princesses's rebel cell to the ends of . . .

"You really should be more aware of your surroundings. You never know what price you might pay for missing a detail." He spun to face the voice and saw a slight form, obviously feminine despite the sack like commissary service uniform she was wearing. He felt the rage build within him anew. This child, for she could be nothing else, was daring to question him? "I honestly expected better from you my lord." His hand began to move, the force coiled about his mind like a viper poised to strike at this annoying little girl child. Ending her would be the least of his atrocities today. She was obviously too stupid to ever be allowed to live, let alone breed. "Your presence is required on Imperial Center at once!" As she spoke he felt the presence of his Master surround her, he seemed to be speaking through her. He recognized her now. The Jade girl. The best of his Master's so called hands. The only one he considered valuable enough to not use in his more debauched ways. _Wouldn't any old man use his hand for relief once he could no longer woo others to his bed?_ A fragment of the boy he had been whispered in the depths of his mind, the outer rim didn't allow children to keep their innocence long, Hut controlled Tatooine least of all.

He banished the thought. If the Jade girl was expressing displeasure with him so openly than it could only mean that the Master's anger at his failure was showing through. "Very well. I will take your vessel back to Imperial Center. You will remain behind and repair my fighter. Once the repairs are complete you will bring the vessel to me." He rumbled at the girl. She cocked her eyebrow at him, a quizzical expression on her face. "Of course, Lord Vader." At her acknowledgment he spun on his heal and began making his way to the corridor that he knew would lead him to the sole remaining lift in the base. The girl spoke as she slipped in behind him. "The Emperor will be expecting you." They both entered the lift.

After a short time the girl spoke again, this time he could sense that it was the girl herself speaking, not his Master's implanted will. "Thank you, Lord Vader." He was impressed, both that the girl had managed to keep her mind, none of the other "hands" truly had, they were little more than puppets for his master, and that her mind was valuable enough that his Master hadn't extinguished her will. She bore watching.

Still her statement puzzled him. "Explain yourself." There was a reason that he was famous among the elite of the empire for his utter lack of political maneuvering and subtlety. "For those who know how to look, and listen, your attachment to your fighter craft is something of a legend." It was true he supposed, he had never found a sufficiently skilled team of technicians to keep the finicky thing properly maintained. She continued interrupting his train of thought. "I thank you for your trust in my skills, Lord Vader." She had analyzed his behavior before he had. Impressive. Very few could see past his mask at all, let alone do so quickly. She evidently knew no fear. It was a shame. She could have become a powerful Sith. "_Still_" he thought as he rid himself of the last of his unreasoning rage, "_I must watch this one far more closely in the future._"

- - -

Exercise room, Rebel Base, Abandoned smuggler drop station, Anzat, Mid Rim.

Six weeks after the Battle of Yavin. 0327 hours.

Luke Skywalker, hero of the rebellion, poster boy for the battle against imperial domination, farm boy, and subject of many other descriptions of varying degrees of accuracy, was sweating more than he ever had in his life. A native of one of the hottest, driest (marginally) habitable worlds in the galaxy, that was quite an achievement. He had been using the vara-grav unit since he came in over four hours ago. The vara-grav was a physical therapy tool that was used to help lifeforms from high gravity worlds stay healthy and allow the injured to regain the use of their limbs under gradually increasing gravity. Luke was using it for neither purpose. The gravity was set to five times galactic standard, and he was going through a combat practice form that added even more stress to his body. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he wasn't going to quit.

"_As well you shouldn't my young friend. You have much catching up to do. The Jedi trained piratically from infancy. It is true that the exercises I am teaching you are far more difficult than the training methods the Jedi typically used. But your need is different than the Jedi of old. You are going to have to face beings that destroyed hundreds of Jedi at once. You must do what they, the old Jedi, failed to do in all their power and numbers, and _you_ must do it alone. I may only help guide you to the power that is available to you. _YOU_ must be the one who grasps that power and once you grasp it, you must make it a part of your very being. The core of your being! But I am getting ahead of myself and you. Your body, mind and spirit are linked to the Force. Focus on the task at hand, learn to subsist on the Force, and the rest will be within your grasp." _

The voice of Luke's teacher Exar Kun drifted through his mind as he continued his practice. It was only a few days ago that he'd managed to learn to do without sleep. Pulling energy from the Force to allow him to continue to function. This next step was to do the same thing under high stress. Kun had shown him how to keep the eyes and minds of his comrades away from him so that he wouldn't be disturbed short of an actual emergency. It helped that it was deep in the night cycle on base. Not that it made much of a difference. The smugglers who had built this place had hallowed out the top of a mountain to hide from prying eyes from above and the hostile vampiric native sapients of Anzat. The only light came from artificial lights. It was like being on a spaceship only without the constant subsonic hum of power generators.

He had the room to himself, which he enjoyed. It meant that he didn't have to filter out the new awareness of his senses that the Force brought him. The harsh breathing and unpleasant smells and jarring sounds that came from other exercisers made it much harder for Luke to focus on his meditation. One of the first things Kun had taught him was how to escape notice, so he could train in private. The electronic security bypass was his own work, he felt proud of that. He had taken the initiative and learned from Han and Chewy. Though he learned different things from each of them. From Han he had improved his blaster work. Clumsy and random they may be, but they were the standard weapon in the galaxy and if he wanted to escape notice from the Empire then blasters were the way to go. Han had also tried to teach him about women, starship systems, and electronic security. He found that what worked for Han, at least what Han said worked for him, didn't help him at all with the opposite sex. Though he wasn't much surprised by that considering how well his 'charm' was working on the princess. One close look at the Falcon's power grid had decided Luke that he really didn't want to learn about starships from the man responsible for _that_ mess, even as effective as it seemed to be. Han did teach him a lot about what to do with electronic security, by what Luke though of as "inverse example demonstrations." Han was clueless. After every 'lesson' Chewbaca would quietly show him the right way to slice through security. The security loop on the exercise room was one of his first projects.

Sadly it seemed that going without sleep and his lessons with Han and Chewy were the only progress he was making. He knew, _knew_, that he wasn't up for the task ahead of him. He was just a farm kid from a fourth rate world. The brass was more interested in taking him on quiet recruiting drives and funding hunts where his status as a 'great war hero' was touted almost constantly, than they were in helping him become a better fighter or leader. He felt like a cardboard cutout more than a hero or a soldier. His next thought was to look for help from the veterans. But there were no veterans to learn from. Vader and his TIE squadron had seen to that. All the senior pilots were killed in the attack on the Death Star, and Wedge only had about six months more experience than him. Luke was already a better pilot as the actual flying went. Wedge had done his best to teach Luke about fighter tactics, but both of them knew that they were missing a lot. Now he felt at lose ends. Here he had all the time in the world (or at least 6 to 8 more hours than the rest of the rebels a day) and there was little worthwhile to use it on. Luke mentally winced as the thought passed through his head.

"_At least you realize the mistake in your thinking this time._" Kun's irritation rattled through his head. "_Worry another time boy!" _He only called Luke boy when he was nearing his limit._ "These exercises are your first steps up a mountain. At the top of that mountain lies mastery of the force. Considering the enemies you have chosen, you will need all the help you can get. In the past entire armies of Jedi were formed to deal with the Sith Lords. Fortunately for you, the Sith are nearly as diminished as the Jedi. This weakness means that with my guidance you have a chance at victory."_ Luke could feel the truth in his master's mental voice as he redoubled his efforts in the exercise. He figured it was a lot like learning to fly. You had to be able to deal with flying straight slow and level before you could get to the fun stuff. He felt Kun's approval through the force.

"_Good, now keep that up for another hour at least before you stop. And by the Force keep your mind on what you are doing! Inattention like that will get you killed as both a Jedi and a pilot! Focus on the NOW! Keep your mind on the task at hand. This worrying is pointless. Trust in the Force and wait for the proper opportunity. Opportunity surrounds us much like the Force and like the Force you must seize it when you have the chance. Now I shall repeat it once again. Focus on the now. Perhaps this time it will stick!_"Luke focused on his exercises for another two hours and only stopped when he felt the early risers of the alpha shift begin to awaken. He had lunch with the princess to look forward to. She was fast becoming his closest friend. Though at this point even the thought was enough to make him grieve for Bigs anew.

- - -

Outside Leia Organa's Quarters, Rebel Base, Abandoned smuggler drop station, Anzat, Mid Rim.

1330 hours, same day.

Luke Skywalker was approaching Leia's room mulling over what little he had in the way of duties as flight commander for their rebel cell. It wasn't that there wasn't anything to do. There was actually too much to do. And not enough pilots to do it. There weren't enough trained pilots, and even fewer combat ready ships. They'd been able to scrounge up a flight of seven Z-95 Headhunters of which 4 were working at any given time. If things didn't get better he'd have to sign off on the proposal that Salderon (a Zabrak technician from a planet in wild space somewhere that had engineering ideas so suicidally creative that even Han blanched at them.) kept putting forward. He didn't like the idea of fielding uglies. He didn't even like the fact that those nightmare cobble jobs of different ships existed in the first place. The idea of having to fly something like that gave him chills. Having other pilots fly them was no better. They needed more ships, more pilots, and someone who knew how to _train_ pilots. Both he and Wedge had essentially grown up flying and didn't remember enough about learning the basics to be much help.

None of these problems were insurmountable, the cell had the resources, and the will. What they did not have was breathing room. They were the most wanted rebels in the Galaxy. Even Mon Mothma was not as high a priority. The traitor senator who delivered death to the empires greatest weapon and "the pilot" who had done the deed, were both on top of Darth Vader's shit list. Scuttlebutt was that Vader was building a task force to track them down specifically. Luke figured that'd be true no matter what. You didn't get away with destroying something like the Death Star without attracting the attention of the owners. Vader would be coming after them no matter what. What bothered Luke was the other whispers. Talk about some kind of monster ship half the size of the Death Star itself and a personal vendetta by Darth Vader against him. Anything from being the last Jedi in the Galaxy (He wasn't, he didn't think he was even close to being a Jedi.) to being the only person Vader had tried to kill that was still alive. Luke had a bad feeling that _those_ particular stories were closer to the truth than not.

_"Good. You are beginning to develop an 'ear' for the knowledge that the force can bring you. I sense much the same thing you do. There is more to the intersection between your destiny and Vader's than you can know yet. Be weary. These are dangerous times." _His master's words brought up mixed feelings for Luke. He was glad to be advancing in the force but was also worried about Vader. He was no where near ready to deal with a monster like that! Well there was time to worry about that later. There was little he could do that he was not already doing, and it was time to meet up with Leia. Why was Han leaning next to Leia's door?

"Anything I should know about, Han?" Luke asked as he reached comfortable talking distance. One of the few social lessons that Exar Kun had taught him was to stop screaming at people from across a room. Luke smiled wryly at both the thought of the fool he'd acted and the fool his best (male, human) friend was acting this very moment. Everyone on the base knew why he'd be loitering outside the princess's room. The smuggler gave Luke the slow smirk that was his trademark. "I'll just hold off and let her graciousness pull it out of me with that laser scalpel she calls a tongue." Luke shot Han a mildly exasperated glance and reached over to ring the announcer on the door.

After a short wait the door opened to reveal Luke best (human, female) friend. She blinked twice in dull surprise at the sight of Han Solo draped over one half of her door way. As she drew breath Luke jumped in to forestall the annoyance that he could sense building against him. "Look before you bite my head off. I didn't invite him, _or_ mention that we were gonna have lunch. I know it was supposed to be just the two of us." Luke stopped to glare good naturedly at Han. "And don't you start! It's nothing like I know your thinking. We were just going to hang out like people our age do across the galaxy. We're both nineteen, and frankly I'm not looking for a girl yet. I'm still getting used to being off the farm. So get it out of your head." He then turned back to Leia barely taking the time to draw breath. "He was here against the door when I got here, which was just now. I have no idea why he's here."

Leia let out a huff as her annoyance at Luke dissipated while Han's smirk seemed to grow more than should be possible. "I'm just here to crash your little lunch party. After all it's not a 'date' so it should be no big deal." The annoyance that Leia had just released returned with interest as she turned to face Han. Somehow, suddenly in the background, despite being nearly between the two most argumentative people he knew (at least around each other) Luke groaned to himself as his master chuckled quietly, amused by the show the two put on constantly.

"Just what gives you the right to go poking around in my private life, Captain Solo?" She challenged, her delicate eyebrows raising as she spoke. "Oh I have no right at all your most excellent princessessness. I, but a humble commoner barely have the right to lay eyes on your royal-ness." The mocking humor almost seemed to fill the entire base as Han dripped smug confidence at his verbal sparing partner. Her eyes seemed to nearly catch fire as her glare intensified. "Why I've never heard something so . . . so . . ." Han cut her off before she could figure out what was 'so'. "Now I know that's not true. I've said way worse things to you just last week. But to answer your question I'm not here to snoop at you."

Luke very nearly called Han on the lie as it reverberated thought the force. Leia seemed to know it as well, judging by the disbelief in both her presence in the force and her face. Han continued "I'm here to look after my good buddy Luke. After all he's just off the farm and completely unprepared for dealing with a cultured, sophisticated, highborn lady like yourself." Leia seemed to almost spasm as a laugh pulled itself from her as Luke muttered to leave him out of it. "I'm no more highborn than Luke is. Everyone knows I'm adopted. But I guess you're right. It had to happen at least once. I'm glad I was here to document such a momentous occasion. In light of Luke's extreme innocence I'll have to let you in. Purely to make sure that our little farm boy is taken care of." "Hey!" Luke objected as Leia gestured for both of them to enter. "Besides, Chewy was messing with the Falcon's food unit trying to get it to make proper Wookiee food and now nothing tastes right for humans, and I think the cook down in the mess hall has it in for me." Luke shook his head as Leia giggled. "Fine, pirate, come on in. You guys are the only people on this base that treat me like something other than a piece of antique glass." She glanced at Luke. "Someday, we will be able to ditch this reprobate and get off on our own." "Where's the fun in that?" Asked Han to the merriment of all.

Lunch precoded as most such things do with wide ranging conversation and generally positive feelings flowing around the table. Surrounded by his friends Luke was finally able to give voice to the concerns that had been plaguing him over the last few weeks. He explained his worries about measuring up to the expectations of his fellow rebels. He was no Jedi he had only been with Ben for a short time. He'd really only scratched the surface of the ways of the Jedi. Everyone seemed to expect that he would be able to measure up to the feats that the Jedi were known for among the old timers. Especially the ones who remembered his father the "hero with no fear." He explained that he was doing what he could with what little he knew but that he thought it'd take years at least to get anywhere. "Look," he said at one point. "I know the Alliance needs heroes, and that for better or worse after the Death Star I'm the biggest one we've got, but I feel like I'm just a poster boy. Leia, I'm sorry to say it like this, but after Alderaan we don't really need a poster boy to drum up recruiting. The empire dose more to drive people to us than we could ever attract on our own and I feel like I could be doing so much more. I need to be _doing_ something. Something that's me, Luke from Tatooine. Not some made up farce of me. I need to make a real difference, for Biggs, and Uncle Owen, and Aunt Beru. I need to try to measure up to what Ben thought I could be. Even if I don't do it as a Jedi for awhile."

Luke seemed to lose some of his exasperated steam when he continued. "Besides, Vader's gonna be after me eventually. There's no point hiding from that." Leia gasped a horrified "What?! Why!?" While Han grunted his disturbed understanding. "Even if he isn't after me for getting away from him over the Death Star like they say. He'll find out about me eventually. One of his spies will hear about the big rebel hero named Skywalker with a lightsaber. Vader's going to want to finish what he started with my father, and he'll come after me. I need to at least try to become ready. And based on what everyone seems to be saying about me maybe I'll even have a chance once he's on to me. I'm awesome you see." Luke said with an ironic little smile. "Everyone says so. Even you two. But I just seem to be stuck at a brick wall. I need to get through to have any chance later on." That pronouncement seemed to put a stop to all conversation. All three of them retreated into themselves for a time.

Finally Han broke the silence. "Hey, I heard about something that might work. One of the solder guys was talking about some kind of program in one of the bigger cells. Something about a training academy for real high end stuff. Special operative types. I can tell you from my own experience that past a certain point it doesn't matter what you're good at, smuggling, bounty hunting, or whatever, it can help you deal with what comes at you. It sounds to me like you need to become as good as you can at as much as you can, at least until you figure out this Jedi mumbo jumbo. I guess the thing to do is try to track down this training camp thing and see if you can sign up." Luke nodded his interest. It sounded good to him. He turned to Leia. "Hey, you have upper level clearance. Do you think you could look into this thing for me? I wouldn't really know where to start, which is part of the problem I suppose." Leia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Uh sure I'll have a look. I don't know if I'll be able to find anything though. I'm barely able to keep up with what's going on here with all the moving between bases. I seem to have left all my staff back at the senate." She said with a small grin.

Luke smiled back. "Don't worry about it." He paused for a moment. "Hey, would 3PO be able to help with that kind of thing? I mean keeping track of stuff like a staff would. I feel like he's going to waste with me. I don't really have any use for him since he's finished teaching me to interpret most of what R2 says." Leia looked hesitant. "I don't want to take your one of your last ties to home away from you, Luke. I know how hard that can be." Luke shook his head. "We only had them for about a day before the stormies came. If 3PO can help then let him help. Besides they were your droids before you decreed that they were mine since Uncle Owen had picked them up off the Jawas." "Okay, fine send him over later, and I'll put him to work. But he's still yours!" Leia said with an expansive wave. Luke glanced at his chrono. "I'd better go. I need to sit down with Wedge and try to figure out some kind of combat air patrol for this place." Luke got up and headed for the door. "I'll see you both later." He said as he left, the door hissing shut behind him.

After a longer than comfortable pause Leia sighed and asked "Is something the matter? Normally I can't get you to shut up." Han looked at her for a moment. "Look, I'm not one to question all this rebel command junk, but I've played enough sabac to know that _you_ know exactly what I was talking about. And I'd bet that you also know how to get in touch with them. You wanna tell me what's going on?" Han's voice was unusually serious. Leia sighed a huge sigh and looked down at her feet. "Yeah, the best program is on _Independence_ the flagship of the Mon Calamari fleet, of the whole rebel fleet I guess since the thing will be bigger and better armed than a pair of star destroyers if it's ever finished. Lukes' pretty much exactly what they're looking for for a couple of programs they're running there. A flight school and some kind of special operations thing that I wasn't cleared to know much about before my cover in the senate was blown."

Han looked confused for a moment then pressed on. "So why not tell him?" Leia's emotional armor cracked and tears welled up into her eyes. "Because I don't want him to go away! He's the only friend I have left that calls me Leia! He's the only one who sees _me_ not my meaningless title or worse yet Alderaan! He's like my family and I don't want to lose him! I don't even know why." She finished in a mumble. Han ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I haven't known the kid all that long, but I don't think he's the type to forget about you just because he's gone off to bad ass school or something. And as much as I hate to say it, I think he may be right about Vader coming after him. He can't afford not to be ready." "I know." Leia mumbled miserably. Han moved from his position across the room to sit next to Leia and put his arm around her shoulders. At first she flinched and held herself perfectly still, memories of her questioning aboard the Death Star reverberating in her mind. Then she remembered that this was one of the men who walked into her personal hell to pull her out. Even if they couldn't plan their way out of a wet paper bag, that deserved some consideration.

She forced herself to relax into the light embrace and let herself take the comfort offered. "Look," he said. "He'll still be your friend. He's just gonna be your friend with the skills he needs to deal with life as a rebel. As good a shot as he is, farm life didn't give him a lot of the skills he needs for all this stuff." She nodded against his shoulder. "I know that, really. I was going to tell him about the program on Home One, but I just wasn't ready to let him go. Give me a day or two and I'll let him know. It's still a week until we can get a signal out to them anyway. Op Sec keeps them on the move since they're still upgrading to warship standards." Han nodded then looked confused for a moment. "Home one? Is that closer to us than _Independence_ or something?" Leia laughed a watery laugh. "Oh no. _Independence_ and Home one are the same thing. It's a nickname. The story I heard was that since it's so big (it's nearly one and a quarter clicks lengthwise) there'd be room for every rebel in the alliance, one home for everyone. And eventually that changed into 'Home One.'" "Ah, I get it." Han nodded and mumbled his understanding.

"You gonna be okay?" Leia nodded. "I'll let you pull yourself together." He said as he got up to leave giving her back one final stroke. "I'd better get out of here before you realize who you're telling all this stuff to." He said with a wink and grin, as he made his way out of the room. Just before he got to the door he turned, the untypical serious look on his face again. "Leia." She looked up at him. "You don't have to worry about me spreading any of this around. You know?" She smiled at him with a warmth he hadn't seen from her before. Part of him wished he'd met her before the loss of Alderaan, how much more often would she have smiled like that with out such pain he wondered. How could she still do it now after watching her planet die? He looked into her eyes and was lost for a moment. Then his serious mood was gone, like the falcon after making the jump to light speed. "After all a gentleman never tells, and lucky for you I don't either." His grin was answered on her face as she waved him out saying "Go on, get out of here before I . . . do something!" He made his way back to the falcon chuckling, never noticing the figure in the shadow of an unused hallway near Leia's quarters.

"_See, I told you there was a reason she wasn't telling me what she knew!_" Luke Skywalker thought at his master emphatically. "_Very well, Skywalker. I agree that both seem to have your interests at heart, and the girl meant no harm. They seem loyal enough to deserve your loyalty in return._" Luke made his way to the meeting with Wedge that he really did need to get to. "_I don't like this spying on my friends. It's not right._" Kun seemed taken aback for a moment. "_If there is one lesson I will teach you it is this one. Be weary of treachery. I trusted one man, and his entire association with me was based on a lie. A lie that was intended to lead to my death. He betrayed all he believed in including me. Everyone might betray you at some point, boy. Be ready and you will overcome such difficulties with ease._" Luke made his way back to his room deep in thought. "_I hope he's wrong about that. Even if he is right about most everything else. It hasn't even been a day and an opportunity has presented itself. I guess I'll have to wait and see. He hasn't lead me wrong so far._"


	3. Chapter 2: The First Steps

Star Wars End of Light  
Chapter 2 The First Steps

Lord Vader's private shuttle, Fondor orbit, Fondor System, Tapani Sector.

Two months after the Battle of Yavin.

Vader glared at the view of the shipyard through the canopy of his shuttle. His hands flying across the controls as he worked to get every last erg of speed from the shuttles strained engines. The sight that greeted him was a swirling mass of red lights. He knew that every color was present in the vast construction yard that he was speeding towards. Even colors that he couldn't have seen before Kenobi had put him in this never sufficiently damned suit. Those colors were lost. Stolen from him. Vision ,a pilots most important sense was mutated, no mutilated into a sad parody of what it once was, as were most of his other senses. Hearing was closest to what life was like before. There was only the slight hum from the microphones that acted as his ears. The next nearest was touch, medical science had long understood how to make bio-mechanical limbs send appropriate approximations of natural tactile information to the humanoid brain. The technology was thousands of years old. If he didn't think about it he even forgot, sometimes, that touch had ever felt different. Taste was a tragedy even among all that had happened to him that long ago day on Mustafar. His taste buds were almost unharmed and had made a full recovery, but his body was so damaged that all he could digest was a cloyingly sweet mixture of sugars, protein, and starch that his medi-droids adjusted constantly for his health. So he could taste the finest foods that an entire galaxy can offer him, but he could never actually eat it. Sent was just like taste, though he didn't think about it often, his nose was quite capable of detecting odor. But his lungs were so damaged by the fire that he could never use his sense of smell without risking death.

Vader pulled himself from his musings on what Kenobi and the other Jedi had stolen from him. Kenobi was dead now, at the end of his own lightsaber. He was approaching one of the executive hanger bays on his new command ship. More than a billion credits had gone into the construction of this ship. Far less than the Death Star had cost, but still not a small expenditure, even for the empire. Vader turned his focus to landing the ship. No matter the amenities of ship or hanger, landing was always a dangerous maneuver. Even the most experienced pilots could doom themselves and others with a laps in attention. All competent pilots were careful on approach and landing, and Darth Vader was far beyond merely competent behind the controls of a space craft.

He sensed a hastily formed welcoming committee rushing to greet him. Once the shuttle was safely settled on the deck he used the force to lower the ships ramp and made his was out of the ship. His large strides quickly took him to the officers of the welcoming party. "Dispense with the pomp and circumstance." His booming voice ordered gravely. "We have little time. As of this moment I am taking command of this vessel and the primary rimward fleet. Take me directly to the nearest command center, I have orders for the fleet."

* * *

Engine Compartment, _Millennium Falcon_, Main Hanger Bay, Rebel Base, Anzat, Anzat System, Mid Rim.

Han Solo was sure that his opponent was mocking him. He was facing some kind of malevolent force. It was like that stuff the kid was into, only directed solely at destroying him. This was his nemesis. This was it, kill or be killed.

Chewie's cry from the Falcon's cockpit pulled Han from his musings. "_**Are you going to get started on the overhaul or not? I'd rather not get stuck running from the damn slaver/imps **_(the words were the same in Wookiee.) _**with a bum drive system.**_" Han shook his head and started pulling access panels from the ship's power plant. "I'm on it Chewie! Give me a sec' to get set up." He shouted back. In the short amount of time he'd spent with the rebels it had become evident to both Han and Chewie that living on the run from the empire required more from the Falcon than their previous smuggling lifestyle did. The shields, sub-light engines, and maneuvering system all needed to be upgraded if they wanted to stay alive and free.

It'd be a balancing act. If they pushed too far then the Falcon's systems would start collapsing under the strain. On the other hand they didn't have to worry so much about going under imperial customs sensors, which had been a major limiting factor in the modifications they'd made to the Falcon for smuggling work. They'd had to at least seem to be a normal tramp freighter at first brush. Considering how much heat they'd pull for running with the rebels, going under the radar wasn't going to be an option any more.

He and Chewie were going to overhaul the ships main generators to get more power out of them. It would mean that they'd need to refuel more often, but the rebels had an amazing supply train and were quite willing to keep the Falcon gassed up. They'd be able to do a lot with greater generator power. Once that was done they'd move on to working on the sublight engines. They'd already paid the rebels for mil-spec thrusters for the maneuvering system. Something to spend his reward on. The parts should be in on the next supply dump. The shields would have to be last he needed to know how much power they'd have left over to charge the things. At least the rebels were providing most of the parts for his little home improvement project. He and Chewie were only having to pay for parts that the rebels didn't keep on hand. Being a hero opened a lot of doors with these freedom fighter types. They'd even offered to help with the overhaul, but he wouldn't trust just anyone with the Falcon.

"Need a hand with that?" Han tried to jerk upright and spin to face the speaker but found that the Falcon's plumbing was in the way. His head and left shoulder slammed into some of the piping that ran all over the engine compartment. He let out a wordless cry of mixed pain and consternation as he crumpled to the floor, seeing stars. When he got his eyes working again he saw Luke kneeling over him, concern written all over his face. "Geez kid give me some warning before you speak up. Ya almost got me killed." The kid was getting creepy the way he was just popping up out of nowhere these days, almost totally silent unless he didn't want to be.

The kid smiled at him as he offered Han a hand up. "I'll take it under advisement."

Han let the kid pull him to his feat. "_**Are you alright, honored one?**_" Chewie called from the cockpit. Part of Han always rebelled at hearing the Wookiee word for the holder of a life-debt. It seemed a little to close to slavery to his human sensibilities. "Yeah, Chewie, I'm fine. Just Luke pulling his new sneak appearance act. Again." The wookiee's laughter filled the small freighter. Luke's smile grew bigger as Han took on a disgruntled expression. "Everyone's a kriffing comedian 'round here. What's up kid?"

Luke shook his head at Han's attitude. "Just thought I'd see how you were doing. Need a hand?" Luke gestured to the partially disassembled Falcon. Han thought for a moment. "Sure kid, more the merrier."

* * *

5th Tertiary Command Center, Star Dreadnought _Executor_, Fondor orbit, Fondor System, Tapani Sector.

Vader paced the deck slowly, none of the rage that was bubbling up from his chest was evident to the officers manning the auxiliary command center he'd commandeered. Every step forward he took seemed to lead him to take two more back to deal with the incompetence of others. He was now in command of the single greatest (remaining) collection of imperial power in a single hull, and he was unable to _use_ it.

Delays of every kind had plagued him since he set foot off his shuttle. First the officers who greeted him did not know the location of this command center. That was of little concern. This part of the ship was newly furnished. Only the shipwrights knew where everything was at this point. Then the yardmasters of Fondor had attempted to delay the launch of the ship in yet another protest over the security precautions that were necessary in the final stages of _Executor's_ construction. There were fewer yardmasters now. When he'd finally secured the reluctant cooperation of the yard he discovered that most of the ships stores had been pulled in favor of arming the Death Star. There had been another wing of TIE fighters on the station that he didn't know about because of some kind of bureaucratic screw up. When he'd demanded to know who it was who had given the order that had stripped his current command, he discovered it was Tarkin himself. He'd only just gotten the ship's stores dealt with, at least partially.

Vader turned and strode to the internship communication station. "Get me Admiral Ozzel."

The com tech blinked up at him a trace of concern coloring his nominal professionalism. "Sir, Admiral Ozzel is on route to the ship and is beyond contact while in hyperspace transit."

"Ozzel took command of this ship officially over a month ago. Why is he not present?" Vader's tone was deceptively flat.

"I don't know sir. We got word he was taking command a month ago as you said. He never showed up to accept command." The tech answered.

"Tell me all you know." Vader's synthesized voice conveyed his mind confusion. He was sure this would mean another delay, he just needed to know how to handle it.

"I'm afraid it's not much more than I've told you, Lord Vader. I think Captain Ridiner tried to insist that the forms be kept. The admiral had him shipped off to the outer rim somewhere. After that no one was willing to make too much of a fuss over it. Even if it did make things go a bit slower with the yard dogs."

Vader seemed to think for a bit. He then turned his attention fully towards the tech, who seemed to shrink a bit under the full force of the Dark Lord of the Sith's gaze. "What is your service information?"

The tech snapped to attention visibly fighting his nerves. "Ensign Harper, Markus communications technician 1st class operating number 8900-61A5-2003XT, sir."

"You have been most helpful Lieutenant Harper. See that you continue to be so." Vader turned and made his way out of the room. He didn't bother to notice the newly minted lieutenant's shock at his sudden promotion. He needed to deal with this absentee admiral as soon as possible, and to do that he needed facilities of the ships central command deck. Internally he raged. Again he had to deal with another foolish delay! Would they ever cease? Every minuet he was delayed the rebel's trail became colder.

* * *

Engine Compartment, _Millenium Falcon_, Main Hanger Bay, Rebel Base, Anzat, Anzat System, Mid Rim.

Both Han and Luke had been working on the generator for hours. Actually it was the third day they'd been working together. They were hip deep in reactor coolant/lubricant literally. "Still" Han thought "the extra hands do make things go faster." They'd be finished as soon as the kid got that last modified oscillation governor installed on the upper stabilizing flywheel.

"I think I've got it. Han, come take a look." Luke called from the other side of the generator assembly.

"That was fast. You didn't use any of that force crap did you?" Han grumbled as he got up from where he'd been checking wiring for the 5th time. You could never be too cautious with primary systems. (And he didn't remember 100 percent how the wiring was supposed to go now with all the changes.)

As Han made his way around to where Luke was eying his work, Han could almost taste the exasperation in his response. "No, Han. I didn't use the force for this. I know you don't want me mucking up your corellian mojo with my 'hokey tricks and nonsense'. I have done mechanical work before."

Han smirked as he started looking over Luke's work. "I don't know kid. Tractors ain't the same as star ships."

Luke snorted and shook his head. "Right and I'd have seen a tractor where exactly? There's nothing but green house hydroponics on Tatooine. No fields to plow. Vaporaters need a lot of TLC to keep working. Hell everything takes a lot of TLC to keep working on Tatooine." Han knew the kid was right, he and Chewie tended to do a full inspection of all exposed parts after doing a job for Jaba just for docking at Mos Islsy. Still he wasn't going to tell the kid that. "And at least here I don't have to worry about keeping the sand out of the works. It's like everything's twice as easy as it was before."

Han decided to cut Luke off before he launched into a dissertation about the Tatooine farm life. The kid started to get damn whiny if anyone let him talk about his home world for to long. "Looks good kid. I think we can close up and wash all this gunk off."

Between the two of them it was quick work to reseal the work hatches and fill the generator with new coolant/lubricant slop. They both made their way to the cleaning station attached to the hanger bay. Both were tracking slop behind them. The maintenance droids would clean up what they left on in the hanger and Chewie would do the same in the Falcon. It was a deal that Han had made years ago. Human bodies were easier to clean than fur covered wookiee bodies. Han would do all the covered in muck type repair work and Chewie would clean up after him in exchange.

Han sighed quietly to him self as he and Luke separated into the fresher stalls. He loved the Falcon as he loved few things in the galaxy. It was his passion and his home. "Sometimes" he thought, "it was far more trouble than it was worth." He knew he'd never think like that normally, but it was going to take at least an hour to get this gunk off of him. He groaned to him self as he peeled off his work overalls. He rarely wore them, but he'd rather not waste perfectly good clothes. He activated the strongest setting on the fresher unit and let the combined sonic waves and cleaning agent wash over him losing himself in the mindless task of cleaning himself.

Han sighed as he left the fresher, even wearing protective clothing it still took forever to get engine gunk clean in the fresher. He saw Luke scrubbing the blond mop that he called hair. It was darker, Han idly noticed, that it was when he first saw him in that cantina on Tatooine. Nearly everything about the kid seemed darker these days. War did that to you, Han supposed. Well, war and being exposed to some of the worst that the Empire had to offer. Han shook his head to get his mind off of the horrors that they'd both seen.

"Kid! Thanks for the assist." He called to Luke.

Luke looked up at him and waved him over. "Hey Han, I need to talk to you for a second."

Han ambled over to his younger friend. "Sure, Kid, what's up?"

Luke looked uncharacteristically serious. "You know I put in that request for extra training?" Luke continued before Han could do more than nod his understanding. "Well a slot's opened up on the _Independence_. Some sort of mixed piloting and commando training program. I don't know all the details but it sound like to good a deal to pass up."

Han interrupted "Look Kid we've been over this. I know this is something you've got to do for yourself. I understand. What's so pressing now."

Luke seemed to take a deep breath, probably some Jedi thing, Han thought.

"The slot that opened is for next week. If I'm going to make it I need to leave in the next couple of days." Luke's statement seemed to lie between the two friends for a moment.

Han smiled his lopsided grin halfheartedly. "So you're heading out. Who'd have thought you'd be leaving before I would. Good luck kid. You're going to need it whether it exists or not."

"Look Han, I need a favor from you, no bullshit." Luke's bright blue gaze almost seem to burn through Han like that laser sword he carried all the time. Han just nodded waiting for Luke to continue.

"Look after Leia. She's not as tough as she lets on. I'm not going to be there for her to lean on for a long time, and . . ."

Han cut him off. "Look, I know she's important to you and all but training programs only last so long. You'll be back before you know it. Then the two of you can figure out what's going on between you."

"Han," Luke's voice was softer than it usually was these days. "there is something between Leia and I, but it's not what you're thinking it is. She feels like family. I can't say why. Hell, I don't know why."

Han looked at Luke for a moment. "You know kid, I believe you. She said almost the same thing about you awhile ago."

Luke smiled. "Glad to hear it. Now all the silly male posturing is out of the way, I'm asking you as the closest thing Leia has to family around here, stick around. You both need each other. Now before you get all defensive, I _know_ how you feel about her."

Han looked across the hanger at the _Falcon_ and the freedom she represented. He used to fly about the Galaxy with nary a care. He felt vaguely violated by Luke's insight into his feelings. "This one of those force mumbo jumbo things?" Han asked.

"Yeah it is." Luke confirmed with a nod.

"Sithspit, kid I'd have stayed anyway. Go pack you gear or something." Han said waiving Luke off, suddenly uncomfortable with the emotional turn the conversation had taken.

Luke nodded and headed off towards the fighter pilot barracks to fallow Han's advice.

"Oh Luke! Mind giving me a hint about what she's feeling?" Han called out to Luke once he was about ten paces away.

"Where's the fun in that!" Luke taunted back over his shoulder as he walked on.

"Hey!" Han called out as he started out chasing after Luke.

* * *

Executive Hanger Bay 14, Star Dreadnought _Executor_ Fondor orbit, Fondor System, Tapani Sector.

Technician 2nd class Yadimin was as near to the bottom of the imperial fleet as you could get and still be assigned to the Executor. On any other ship in the fleet his 2nd class rating would have him as an assistant to a section chief. On this ship he was just another grunt. Normally he'd be working down in environmental reclamation checking pipes for leaks. Everyone, even the other techs, called him a shit sniffer. But today he was about as far from shit sniffing as you could get on his pay grade. Earlier in the duty cycle Darth Vader himself had swooped down onto the not yet commissioned flagship, and lit some kind of fire under everyone's collective asses. Just about everyone was racing to get the _Ex_ underway in as little time as possible. The ship's usual small craft support crew was frantically getting as many TIE squadrons as Fondor could spare squared away in the ships many hangers. They'd still only be at about 60 percent of the _Ex's_ full complement but it was better than going without a fighter screen. Regular fleet types and yard dogs had put aside the usual animosity to get supplies on board so the unfinished sections of the ship could be completed on route to wherever they were going. Considering how long it took to build something the size and complexity of the _Executor_, the rush was beyond bizarre. Still, if Darth Vader comes up to you and says jump, you don't bother to ask how high. You start jumping and hope he doesn't make you very, very dead.

Environmental reclamation was the only system on the Ex that was fully operational. All the work was done for the moment down in the ships bowels. (pun intended) So he and his fellow shit sniffers were being sent all over the ship to do the jobs that everyone else had been pulled away from to get the ship out to space ASAP. His secondary expertise in small craft maintenance meant that he'd been assigned to check each of the ships minor hanger bays to be sure that all the small craft were properly secured. This was the thirteenth hanger he'd been to check. He was only mildly surprised to see a first rate private shuttle parked brazenly right in the center of the otherwise empty bay.

"Damn brass, bet they'd forget to wipe their asses if it didn't itch." Yadimin muttered to himself. Bio-reclamation made for some of the most creative language in the fleet. Still he'd have to write up the shuttle. Improper storage was a big no no. If the ship found it self under combat conditions a lose shuttle or fighter could cause a lot of damage. This one had just been plopped down and left. He made his way over to the shuttle to get it stowed safely. To his spacer's eye the shuttle was brand new. No carbon scoring what so ever. No micro meteor damage. No patches or obvious part replacements. It was a military grade Lambda with full armament, but it didn't have any of the subtle markers to say what unit it belonged to. Yadimin thought it had to be a private shuttle for some 'high brass ass'. Only vice-admirals and up could get their hands on a beauty like this shuttle. Hell even vice-admirals would have to kiss a bunch of ass and have some extra special connections or favors to rate this number.

The passenger deck looked untouched. Only one seat looked like it had been used, and lightly at that. Maybe it was the commanding admiral that they'd been waiting the last few months for. With Vader in his little snit. . . He shuttered and reminded himself not to think of Darth freaking Vader like that if he wanted to keep breathing. He'd have to be more careful while he was out here on the upper decks. One of the (few) perks of being an environmental tech was that no one really cared what you said or did as long as the job was done. He'd have to be careful writing up this shuttle, he didn't want to piss off any brass and get his ass shipped off to the unknown regions or worse. Still if it was the admiral then maybe things would be back to normal soon. He hated dealing with brass. Too many damn questions and almost no answers for grunts like him.

His thoughts derailed as he stepped into the shuttle's cockpit. The first thing he noticed was the familiar stench of human waste. On the floor shoved to the side, out of the way from the ships controls was a dead man. He'd been a pilot by his uniform. Yadimin knelt by him as he check him over with his hand scanner. The body was cold. He'd been dead for a while. Probably longer than the shuttle had been on the Executor. His neck was totally crushed. It looked like the skin was the only thing keeping it attached. "This is way over my pay grade." He gowned to himself as he moved to the shuttle's comm station. He'd have to report this. He contacted the ships central security office. "This is technician Yadimin operating number 5899-716-AAG2. I'm in executive hanger bay one four and I've got a dead guy in an unsecured shuttle." As he listened to the shocked but still professional response from the junior security communications officer he thought to himself that at least he knew who'd parked the thing in the middle of the bay. This was definitely Darth Vader's shuttle.

* * *

Main Command Bridge, Star Dreadnought _Executor_, Fondor orbit, Fondor System, Tapani Sector.

Vader stared out at the great expanse of the Executor and the stars beyond from the forward central view port. He could sense a bundle of self importance and political machinations moving slowly towards the bridge. It had to be this Admiral Ozzel who had decided that his own personal aggrandizement was more important than getting the new center piece of the imperial fleet completed. He turned and let his long stride carry him to the watch commander. The officer turned to face him and snapped to attention. He gazed steadily at Vader's mask. His face showed little sign of the fear that Vader sensed from him. His chocolate colored was skin a rarity in the imperial navy, to have reached an assignment on the _Executor_ with such a disadvantage was impressive. Vader made a note to watch him, if his skills matched the first impression he gave then he could be quite useful.

"Lord Vader, what are your orders?" His voice was that of a model of an imperial officer, perfectly controlled, and pitched in exactly the proper way.

Vader spoke, his voice seemed to fill even the massive space of the main bridge. "The last of our . . ." He paused to consider his words. "baggage has arrived. Get us underway immediately. Set your course for the Yavin system, best possible speed."

"At once sir!" The watch officer's response was crisp and intimidate. He turned from Vader and called out to the helm station. "Separate from the yard slip and break orbit. Prepare to receive hyperspace jump coordinates." Once again Vader was impressed by the shear competency displayed by the officer as he made his way down to the ships main astrogation station. Rather than blindly moving to jump the ship to lightspeed as soon as they were able, the watch officer was taking the time to figure out the quickest route ahead of time. Though such an action was not standard imperial doctrine, it could save minuets or hours of travel time. Vader reached briefly into the force and pulled his name and information about his personality from his mind. Good he was both ambitious and cautious. Vader also sensed that it would be easy to instill personal loyalty. All it would take would be some simple career advancement. Yes, he thought to himself, this one dose bear watching.

As Vader turned to leave the bridge he spoke to the interesting officer. "Captain Montrose, when admiral Ozzel arrives tell him to meet me in my quarters. He and I have much to . . ." Vader paused and then spoke the last word relish. ". . . discuss." Vader did not wait for Montrose's response as he left the command bridge.

* * *

Commander Aerospace Group Quarters, Rebel Base, Anzat, Anzat System, Mid Rim.  
The Next Day

Luke Skywalker's mind wandered as he began packing his meager belongings into his duffel. Almost everything was standard Alliance equipment, the only exceptions being his medal for destroying the Death Star, and his father's lightsaber. Nothing had been salvageable from the farm, and he'd had to burn his only clothes from back home after his fifth attempt at getting rid of the smell from the garbage compactor. Sometimes he thought the smell was _still_ sticking to him.

"_Boy, let go of this trivial nonsense and focus your mind on the current moment. Worrying about smells and objects long gone will do nothing to help you on your way to greatness."_

Luke blinked as he pulled his attention back to his packing. He idly noticed that Wedge seemed to be on his way to speak with him. _"Master, what do you mean greatness? I know I've had day dreams of being some great hero or something, but I thought . . . I don't know. Shouldn't I be humble or something. Ben was living by himself out in the middle of the Jundland waists."_

"_Kenobi was in that hovel for two reasons, boy. First he was watching over you and shielding your presence from the empire, as I am doing for you now. Second I believe he was atoning for his part in the destruction of the Jedi. For it was your friend, Obi Wan Kenobi that taught Darth Vader the skills he used to slaughter the Jedi Knights. Such austerity is unnecessary. You need not hold yourself down to the level of the rest of the galaxy. You posses the power of the force, it grants you the ability to stride above lesser beings. What is that if not greatness?"_ Kun was surprised at his the strength of his student's reaction as he recoiled from the thought.

"_But I don't _want_ to 'stride above lesser beings.' Isn't that what the empire does? Try to control everything and everyone."_

Behind his mental shields Exar Kun scrambled to find a way to cover for his misstep. This boy was turning out to be far more trouble to control than expected. _"I suppose it is, in a way. Yet you strive to free the galaxy from tyranny. There are beings who love the empire as much as you hate it. To achieve your goals your rebellion must crush their dreams as totally as the imperials seek to crush yours. You personally, as a user of the force will eventually be moving directly against, not only the Sith Lords, Vader and the Emperor, but the Emperor's pets, I sense many such beings twisted under his command. Even Vader should be counted among them, despite being a Sith Lord himself."_

Luke was stunned to hear what his master had said, the part about crushing imperial dreams made sense once he thought about it, but that even Darth Vader was a pet to the Emperor. It seemed impossible, yet he could sense the truth in the force. What kind of monster was the Emperor?

"_Exactly. The Emperor is the most successful Sith Lord in many millennia. He rules the known galaxy. To defeat him you must raise yourself to also be able to change the course of the galaxy. To reverse it. To bring back freedom. But we must put off our discussion for now. Your subordinate is here." _

At that moment the there was a knock on his door, and before he could open the door him self or call out, the door slid open and Wedge Antilies stuck his head into the room. "Hey boss, you done packing?"

Luke smiled at his friend. "Sure, just about. What do you need?"

Wedge stepped the rest of the way into Luke's room. "Not much, a party would be nice, and what do you know there's some big shot pilot who's heading out to become an even bigger big shot. There was talk about turning out half the base to see him off with style!"

Luke groaned as he saw the smile stretching across Wedge's face. "Half the base?" Luke asked in a voice that was more squeak than the tones that he'd become known for since leaving Tatooine.

Wedge walked over and clamped a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Don't worry Solo, the Princess, and I were able to talk them out of it. I know you hate that kind of thing."

Luke let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks, Wedge."

"At any rate, the three of us decided to have a little get together in your honor, we even requisitioned one of the conference rooms." Wedge said.

Luke blinked in confusion. "But I don't sense anyone in the conference rooms."

Wedge laughed a bit, used to Luke knowing things he couldn't know through the force. "Yeah, well first the fighter maintenance crew got wind of it somehow. Don't ask me how, I've got no idea. So they invited themselves, which of course twigged the rest of Rogue group so _they_ invited themselves too. We were careful to make sure that only people that you've actually worked with would show up. Even then the conference room was to small so we've grabbed a table in the cafeteria. Everyone else should already be there."

Luke got up and slapped Wedge on the back. "Well what are we waiting for? I could eat a bantha I'm so hungry, and it'll be good to see everyone before I head out."

"Yes heading out is good." Wedge said with a grin as they headed to the party. "The sooner I get you moved out of here, the sooner I get your quarters. The sooner I get away from Hobbie's doom and gloom the better."


End file.
